Underground
by Pika-Boo2
Summary: A CSI version of Jim Henson's Labyrinth. SaraGil. First Fic. Hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Underground

By PikaBoo2

Chapter 1

Be careful what you wish for…

"I have fought my way through the goblin city to take back the love that you have stolen," She read softly to herself. Wow, what a wonderful book! Sara was so immersed that she didn't hear her cell go off. On the eighth ring, she acknowledged it.

Grissom.

She quickly looked at the clock on the wall of the break room. 6:00 Am. She had been reading for three hours.

"He's going to kill me!" She breathed as she answered her phone. "Sara!" She tried to sound cheerful. A moment of silence followed.

"Last time I was aware, breaks didn't last three hours," His voice was low and calm. It would have been less cruel if he had been screaming.

"I know, I know…I can explain…" Her fake cheer had turned to real embarrassment.

"My office…and don't take three hours!" He hung up. Anger was growing inside her as she put down the book and marched to Grissom's office. Unlike him, humans made mistakes, she growled angrily to herself. His door was open.

"Close the door," She did as told as she walked in. He didn't ask her to sit so she stood in front of his desk looking down at him as he wrote on his laptop. Several seconds went before he spoke.

"Well," He said not looking up.

"Well what," She spat back. A blue eye shifted up with its eyebrow to look at her. The stare spoke volumes and she looked down in submission. That moment of silence again. She hated it. When she looked back at him, he was continuing his work on the computer.

Tell me or get out! She wished he had just said it.

"I got lost in a book," She finally breathed, more exasperated then she had expected. He stopped typing at her words. He closed the laptop and put it aside. He turned to her, taking off his glasses. She couldn't read his face. Then she saw a shadow of a grin.

"What book?" He was quizzical, interested even. She had not expected that. Trap?

"What does it matter?" She asked warily. He gave her a full smile now and something about it put her on guard.

"When a book has the power to make one of my CSI's neglect there responsibilities, I like to at least know its name!" He was still smiling, but his voice had risen ever so slightly. Trap!

"It was a mistake…" She began, her voice rising itself, as she tried to explain. Grissom suddenly stood up, his hands flat on the desk.

"No Sara…It was neglect!" She was surprised at his sudden movement of anger and could only stare at him. He held her eyes and she had to admit it was hard not to turn away. His gaze began to soften and he fell back to his seat, in disgust or deflation, she didn't know. Both turned away from each other and neither said anything.

"I've given your case to Greg," He said matter of fact as he rubbed his forehead closing his eyes. He didn't want to see the reaction he knew would come from her. It scared him more when it didn't come.

"Anything else," He barely heard her. Was it getting colder in his office? It would have been better if she had screamed, he thought. He looked up at her.

"Don't let it happen again," He said softly. He suddenly felt very old and very tired. He looked down at his desk and pretended to become busy, thus dismissing Sara from his office. He could feel her lean down over his desk. Her breath was on his cheek and a shiver ran down his spine. Here it comes, he thought.

"Unlike you, I'm only human," She cooed. "But I'll try." An icicle in his ear would have been more welcome. He couldn't look up as she walked out of his office; he just closed his eyes and wished he himself could get lost for three hours.

Sara picked up her book in the break room and went to her locker. On her way out, she looked into Grissom's office. She felt an uncomfortable sneer cross her face as she thought of a quote from her book.

"I wish the goblin's would come and take you away," She smiled sadly in his direction. She didn't even realize she had said it aloud. "Right now!"


	2. Chapter 2

Underground

by Pika-Boo2

Chapter 2

You're Him!

Sara saw his office go dark in the corner of her eye and she turned around.

'What now', she thought, staring into his window. All she saw was darkness, no movement. She could feel a sense of worry (or was it concern) grow inside of her. 'Oh no you don't,' she reprimanded herself and walked toward the front door of the lab. She was going home and nothing he could do to stop her.

That's when she heard the laugh. She stopped dead in her tracks. It was a maniacal growly kind of laugh. It was coming from Grissom's office. She cautiously walked back to his door and knocked.

"Grissom?" There was no answer. She opened the door. Her first instinct was to try the light, which didn't' work. From the light of the corridor she found her way through the metal cabinet's and glass shadows to his desk. A strange sense of fear came over her, which she would never have expected to find in Grissom's office, even in the dark. His chair was turned so the back was to her. "Grissom?" she whispered with a slight tremor. What was she so afraid of? She touched his chair and turned it to face her. The lights suddenly flickered and something, what was it, small and furry jumped swiftly from the chair, causing her to step back in shock. She backed into one of the metal cabinets and it shook violently. The laughter returned, this time it was accompanied by many others. Was she losing her mind?

"Sara," Her heart nearly stopping in her chest, she turned toward the doorway and saw a man standing in it's frame, the light from the corridor shinning around him in the darkness, like an angel of death. The voice, that was unmistakable, but something was wrong. He seemed taller, or was that because he was so trim and thin, his cloths outlining his body through the light. His hair was longer, curlier even. She couldn't see his face, it was covered in shadow. "I didn't mean to startle you."

As if reading her thoughts, the lights flickered again, and those piercing blue eyes shined at her in a face turned back by at least thirty years.

"You're Him," was all Sara could sputter. The sides of his mouth rose, and Sara new he was smiling. He began to approach her and a strange sense of panic arose to her lips. "Where's Grissom?"

He stopped and let out a soft laugh.

"You know very well where he is," This wasn't true. Sara didn't know. Or was it...no, that would be impossible...wouldn't it?

"Bring him back, now," she demanded. She watched as he cocked his head slightly, as if to look at her better. She could see him better. Was he wearing mascara and eyeliner? He suddenly reminded her of a rock star and she almost smiled. It truly brought out those gorgeous blue eyes!

"Whatever for, princess," Princess? Her father used to call her that. It was what her name meant after all. She felt her confidence weaken slightly by his unexpected retort.

"I didn't mean it!" She choked, and could feel tears building in her eyes. He let out a great laugh that caused her to start.

"Didn't you," he smiled, his body shaking from laughter. She felt like a child who had just said something stupid and the parent found it adorable.

"No," She stared at him with venom in her eyes. He caught this, and slowly stopped laughing, his smile never wavering.

"I've brought you something," He reached inside his coat. Sara instinctively reached for the gun at her side. He stopped and so did she. His smile flickered, like the lights, ever so slightly. "Why Sara, don't you trust me?" She said nothing. He continued to reach into his coat, and when she didn't retaliate for her gun, he pulled out a hand sized translucent orb. Sara looked at it.

"What is it?"

"It's a crystal, nothing more," She's not sure why she let him get so close, but by the time she had registered it, he was leaning over her from behind. "But if you turn it this way, it will show you your dreams," She felt his warm breath on her neck. He moved the orb in front of her, the dim light of the room dancing over it as he did so. She was transfixed, by the strange orb or the equally strange man, she wasn't quite sure. She suddenly shivered as she felt his lips brush her ear. "Do you want it," he whispered. She felt trapped. She couldn't seem to move. Did she want... She closed her eyes in search of guidance. It came from the most unlikely place. "And forget about Grissom!"

Her eyes snapped open and she pushed herself away from him.

"Never," Her voice was firm and determined. His smile was gone and for the first time since meeting him, she saw a hint of anger in his features.

"Sara," he began, raising the crystal above his head. She thought he might smash it to the floor in rage, but something equally unsettling happened. As Moses once did with his staff, the orb transformed into a living snake. Sara watched in apprehension as the snake was brought down to it's master's chest and cradled in his arms. An image of Alice Cooper came to her mind. "Don't defy me!"

He threw the snake at Sara and she quickly tore it off her neck, only to discover that it had turned into an elegant silk scarf. He let out a soft laugh and Sara once again heard the growling courses chime in.

"You're no match for me, Sara,"

'You want to bet', she thought. She had had enough.

"Where's Grissom?" He saw it in her eyes. She was so stubborn. He loved that about her. Oh well, It wouldn't hurt to humor her. He smiled and pointed out Grissom's door.

"He's there! In my castle," Sara went to the door and looked out into the corridor. But it wasn't the corridor, not anymore. It was literally a scene from another world. A huge labyrinth encompassed most of the view, but far at the center she could see what could only be the outline of a castle.

"Is that the castle beyond the goblin city," she felt slightly ridiculous quoting it, for it was plainly obvious. She just couldn't believe any of this. On turning around she noticed Grissom's office had disappeared, replaced by this strange new world. Against a dead tree, he leaned, a broad smile on his face while he watched her observe his kingdom.

"Do you still want to look for him," he asked. Her eyes brooked no denial. This place went against any scientific rational she had ever known, but she didn't care. She would find Grissom! She had to!

He watched her as she made these mental notes and his face suddenly turned somber, much like Grissom's when he was concerned. "Turn back Sara," He sounded so much like Grissom...

"I can't!" She half yelled, turning away so she wouldn't have to look at him, and so he wouldn't see the tear that grazed her cheek. He let out a sigh and turned his gaze from her retreat.

"Such a pity."


	3. Chapter 3

Pika-Boo2

Underground

Chapter 3

Enter The Labyrinth

When Sara looked back, there was only the dead tree. He was gone. She suddenly felt very alone.

As she reached the outer stone wall of the labyrinth, she thought she heard singing. She quickened her pace toward the sound.

She was now in what looked like a small garden, many years left to neglect and decay. In the center was a large stone basin and standing on top, pissing into the murky water, was a little man in tattered cloths befitting the days of the middle ages. To her surprise, none of this startled her more than his singing. Though it was to himself, she could make out the words clearly. It was a song she often sang to herself at work. It was a song her mother had taught her as a child. And this man was singing it... in the voice of one Captain Jim Brass of the Las Vegas Police Department!

"Brass?" The little man stopped singing and zipped up his fly.

"Who wants to know?" his voice was gruff as he turned to look at Sara. He recognized her, but it wasn't the greeting she would have expected. His face contorted in annoyance. "Oh, it's you." He jumped down from the basin and picked up something on the ground. Sara was so happy to see a familiar face. She ran to him and proceeded to give him a hug.

"HOLD!" he yelled brandishing not his usual .45, but a pesticide gun. Shock giving way, it was all she could do to keep from laughing. "Just keep your distance, young miss. My master told me all about you!" Sara's smile faded. Master? Brass backed away, and when he felt the distance was good and save, turned and started spraying at some dead flowers. She cautiously walked a bit closer, following him as he sprayed.

"What exactly did your' "Master" say about me?" she inquired, with much bitterness and pause on the "Master". Brass didn't miss a beat.

"He said you were tricky and not to be trusted." Sara gave off a small laugh.

"You sure he wasn't talking about himself?" She had said it as a side to herself, but Brass heard it none the less and she was intrigued to hear him softly laugh in approval at her remark. She had just gained some valuable headway. Brass let her get within a foot of him now. She could now see what he was spraying and she gasped. They were fairies. He was poisoning fairies!

"How could you!" she cried, as she picked up one of the dazed little creatures. As she did it bit her, causing her to drop it back to the dusty floor. Brass stopped spraying at her exclamation of pain. "It bit me!" she cried in disbelieve. Brass chuckled and went on to the next set of dead flowers.

"What'd you expect fairies to do?"

"I though they granted wishes." Brass laughed as he zapped a fairy, it's tiny cry made Sara shudder.

"Shows what you know."

Sara had had enough of this unpleasant Brass. She left him to his "work" and began to search for a way into the labyrinth. There had to be a door or an opening. She saw nothing. After a while she sat down on a broken stone bench in disgust. She turned to Brass and saw him staring at her, a wide grin on his face.

"I could ask you how to get in, but I'd doubt you'd tell me." Sara starred back at the impenetrable wall before her. She suddenly felt Brass by her side.

"Why the hell do you want to go in there anyway!" He asked as if it were the most stupid and crazy thing she could think of doing. She closed her eyes and sighed as she got up. She walked to the wall and put her hand on it. It was cold and hard.

"Grissom." Brass stared at her quizzically.

"What's a Grissom?" Sara couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't serious, was he? As she turned to look at him she could tell that he was. She closed her eyes again and sighed.

"He's a friend." Brass seemed to ponder this new information. As he looked at her his features went from confused, to sadness, to aggravation. He grumbled to himself.

"I just know I'm going to regret this." Curious of his statement, Sara followed him down the length of the wall. "You get in there," he pointed. As Sara turned, where she was sure wall was just seconds before, now opened a large wooden door into the labyrinth.

"But...It was just..." she started, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Things are not always what they seem in this place, Sara," His voice was no longer gruff and for the first time, Sara felt like she was talking to the Brass she knew. "You can't take anything for granted." It was a warning from a friend. She smiled down at him, then turned toward the large doors. As she began to walk through them, she herd Brass call her.

"Good Luck." She smiled again, but it quickly faded as she saw her Brass be replaced by the sneering little fairy killer. "Your' going to need it." he said in a gruff chuckle. He waved his hands, and Sara had to move fast not be caught in the closing doors.


End file.
